This is Part 3 of a 5-part series. See: How School Leaders Are Using AI to Revolutionize Operations and Procurement for all articles in this series.

Writing effective prompts is a critical skill for anyone using AI tools, especially school administrators and staff involved in K-12 school procurement and operations. The quality of your prompt directly shapes the usefulness, accuracy, and relevance of the AI’s response.

This article explores proven strategies for crafting great prompts, drawing on scholarly resources and expert guidance, and provides practical examples tailored to school procurement and operations.

Why Prompt Writing Matters

Prompts are the instructions you give to an AI tool. Well-crafted prompts help the AI understand your context, objectives, and constraints, resulting in more actionable and relevant outputs. In the context of K-12 school operations ¾ where accuracy, compliance, and clarity are paramount¾ effective prompts can save time, reduce errors, and support better decision-making.

Key Principles for Writing Great Prompts

Be Specific and Clear

Vague prompts yield vague answers. Clearly state what you want, including relevant details, context, and constraints. For example, instead of asking, “Draft a procurement policy,” specify the type of procurement, your district’s size, and any regulations that apply.

Provide Context

AI performs better when it understands the background of your request. Explain the scenario, your role, and the intended audience. For instance, mention if you’re a procurement officer in a large urban district or a principal at a small rural school.

Define the Desired Output

Tell the AI what format, length, or tone you need. Do you want a checklist, a policy draft, an email, or a summary? Should the tone be formal, concise, engaging, or explanatory?

Use Examples and Templates

If possible, provide a sample or template for the AI to emulate. This helps the AI match your expectations for structure and style. See below for templates.

Iterate and Refine

Don’t expect perfection on the first try. Review the AI’s response, give feedback, and adjust your prompt for clarity or additional detail as needed.

Consider Compliance and Ethics

For procurement and operations, ensure your prompt asks the AI to follow legal, ethical, and policy guidelines. For example, specify that the response should comply with state procurement laws or district equity policies.

Prompt Templates and Examples for K-12 Procurement and Operations

Prompt templates provide a structured starting point for common tasks. Here are several tailored to school procurement and operations:

Procurement Policy Drafting Template

You are a K-12 school district procurement specialist. Draft a procurement policy for technology purchases that complies with [state] regulations, includes guidelines for competitive bidding, and addresses equity in vendor selection. The policy should be suitable for a district with 10,000 students and a $2 million annual technology budget. Please provide the policy in a formal, concise format.

RFP (Request for Proposal) Creation Template

Act as a procurement officer for a public school district. Write an RFP template for acquiring interactive whiteboards for 20 elementary schools. Include sections for vendor qualifications, technical specifications, evaluation criteria, and deadlines. The language should be clear and accessible to both vendors and school staff.

Vendor Performance Evaluation Template

Generate a checklist for evaluating vendor performance after completing a facilities maintenance contract in a K-12 district. Include criteria such as timeliness, quality of work, compliance with contract terms, and responsiveness to issues. Present the checklist as a bulleted list.

Spend Analysis Summary Template

Summarize the district’s procurement spending for the last fiscal year, highlighting the three largest categories of spend (e.g., technology, facilities, transportation). Present the summary in a brief report format suitable for the school board, include charts with details, and provide recommendations for cost savings.

Compliance Checklist Template

Create a compliance checklist for school procurement officers to ensure all purchases over $10,000 follow state bidding laws, district approval processes, and documentation requirements. Format the checklist for easy printing and use in staff training.

Communication with Stakeholders Template

Draft an email to school principals explaining the new centralized procurement process for classroom supplies. The email should outline the benefits, the steps principals need to follow, and whom to contact with questions. Use a professional but approachable and accessible tone.

Tips for Improving Your Prompts

• Start with a clear objective: What do you want the AI to help you achieve? State it plainly at the beginning of your prompt.
• Include relevant details: Dates, quantities, regulations, and audience all help the AI tailor its response.
• Specify the format: If you need a table, checklist, summary, or email, say so.
• Ask for compliance: For procurement, explicitly request adherence to relevant laws or policies.
• Iterate: If the output isn’t quite right, clarify your prompt and try again.
• Provide feedback: Tell the AI what worked and what didn’t, and ask it to revise as needed. Push back and question the AI on any content that looks unreliable.
• Ask the AI to draw from specific types of source material, such as, “Using only scholarly journal articles,” provide me with information on … .

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Being too vague: “Write a procurement document” is not enough. Specify what kind, for what, and for whom.
• Omitting context: Without knowing your district size, budget, or compliance needs, the AI may generate generic or unsuitable responses.
• Ignoring audience: Tailor the tone and complexity to your readers, e.g. school board members, staff, or vendors.
• Not reviewing outputs: Always check AI-generated content for accuracy, compliance, and appropriateness before using or sharing it.

Writing great prompts is essential for leveraging AI effectively in K-12 school procurement and operations. By being specific, providing context, defining output, and iterating, you can generate high-quality, actionable responses that support your district’s goals. Prompt templates and real-world examples tailored to procurement tasks help ensure clarity, compliance, and efficiency.

Note: This article was adapted, in part, from the following articles. Perplexity AI was used for research and outline this article. All assertions were checked by a human for accuracy.

1. Harvard IT Webpage. https://www.huit.harvard.edu/news/ai-prompts
2. MIT AI Resource Hub. https://mitsloanedtech.mit.edu/ai/basics/effective-prompts/
3. New Jersey Institute of Technology. https://www.njit.edu/emergingtech/concise-guide-writing-generative-ai-prompts
4. OpenAI Community Site. https://community.openai.com/t/a-guide-to-crafting-effective-prompts-for-diverse-applications/493914
5. Columbia University Digital Futures Institute, Teachers College. https://www.tc.columbia.edu/digitalfuturesinstitute/learning–technology/instructional-guides–resources/self-paced-learning-guides/ai-in-education-guides-tips-and-tricks-for-prompt-writing/

Leslie Stebbins is the director of Research4Ed. She has more than twenty-five years of experience in higher education and K-12 learning and instructional design. She has an M.Ed. from the Technology Innovation & Education Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Simmons College.